The present invention is directed to a toy which is assembled by means of magnets mounted within individual pieces of the toy, which may be broken apart and reassembled without damage to the toy.
Certain toys allow for break-up and reassembly, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No(s). 2,996,833, 2,803,920, and 3,687,452. Some devices are held together by mechanical means such as hooks and springs, and some have portions which are mounted by magnetic means such as those described in U.S. Pat. No(s). 3,254,440, 3,655,201, 4,238,905 or German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,346,555. However, earlier devices do not show toys which are assembled entirely by use of magnets in addition to being breakable upon impact, which may be reassembled. Nor do such earlier designs show toys which also serve as puzzles for children to assemble.
Recently, applicant obtained U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,273 which discloses and claims a toy such as a ball or sphere made up of eight identical wedge-shaped elements. In one embodiment each element is formed from four pieces of preformed plastic, three pieces being flat and the other being arcuate. A magnet is mounted in a predetermined position on each of the flat pieces, and each wedge is assembled by means of an adhesive along the edges of the individual pieces where they adjoined other pieces. Plus and minus signs may be imprinted on the faces of the wedges to reflect the polarity of the magnets beneath the faces. When the ball is assembled, it may be broken apart by an impact, and reassembled. The strength of the materials for the ball and of the magnets, and the placement of the magnets, are chosen such that the impact necessary to break the ball apart will not cause structural damage thereto. In an alternative embodiment described in the '273 patent, the toy is in a cube shape and has eight individual cubes formed in a manner similar to the individual wedge-shaped elements of the ball. In another alternative embodiment described in the '273 patent, the toy is constructed as a pyramid comprised of four individual smaller pyramids, or a baby rattle which is longitudinally divided. Each of the embodiments described in the '273 patent acts as both a reversibly breakable toy and as a child's puzzle. Of course, the toy described in the '273 patent, as well as the toy described herein, may have any desired shape or configuration. Thus, the toy may be shaped to resemble a particular object or it may be given any desired shape such as, for example, an oval, rectangular, octagonal or egg shape.